A Paradox in Time
by INeedADifferentName
Summary: What happens when the Digidestined are forced to go through an entire relapse of time? Where they are grudgingly taken to live the same memories again? It happens so, for a group of twelve Digidestined, 26 years after the epilogue of Season 02's cast and members. Couplings are yet to be decided. Rated T for safety. Sorry for no picture. Site only let's me use three.
1. Commencement

**I don't know why I thought about this, but I was a little sick and tired of people PMing me about Taiora not being real, from the other writing piece I have, titled: **_**The Reflection of Vanity. **_**Obviously, I know the pairing isn't real, but neither are the stories on this website. Any who, fuming a little on it, I decided to create this story. It's based on the actual television series for the second season. Basically it's like this: 25 years have passed… Matt's married to Sora, Mimi is married to— I'm guessing Michael, cause' her kid looks a lot like him, but with brown hair. Kari is with Takeru, Yolei is with Ken; and Tai, Davis, Joe, Izzy and Cody have no one, (so I'll just create some OCs or whatever). They all have like, a thousand kids total, and they're living their happy little lives, blah-blah-blah. **

**Anyways, the story starts out from when the Digidestined are having one final reunion (I mean, they're like what, in their 40s now?). Suddenly… you have to read the rest to find out. Basically, they all go through this time shift, where they get to redo their lives. Yes, I will shift between the present, and time-looped present. The former will be created through memories, while the latter is the actual time frame.**

**Warning: Some of the characters, before the time shift, had some marital problems, financial difficulties, etc. In others words, a **_**deux ex machina**_** moment, meaning- I get to place the characters with whomever I choose. I'm pretty sure anyone can guess who I want to have marital problems. I mean, it's not my fault I don't agree with season 02's ending; simply, preference. **

**Also, I must add, this chapter is only the Prologue, and so it won't contain much, but only the beginning to start off the story. I won't get into the juicy bits (mystery, romance, relationships, etc.) until a little further in. **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Digimon, the franchise, any endorsements, affiliations and/or any unoriginal (not mine) settings, plots, characters or themes taken place within the story. I DO own any characters, plots, themes, and settings NOT present within the original canon, manga, products, or affiliations. **

**Okay, enough of me ranting about nothing; on with the story:**

**Final Note: I can't believe I forgot to mention this, but the story will most likely take off a year after the defeat of MaloMyotismon (once the time shift begins).**

* * *

_Time Line: Current Day – Present, Before Time Loop, April 8__th__. 26__th__ anniversary since the defeat of Malomyotismon. _

Tai looked at the mirror one last time, taking a quick glance to ready his appearance, for another reunion. The gang had been doing the anniversary for over twenty-five years since they defeated Malomyotismon. It was originally created to celebrate his defeat, but for the past ten years, it's been used to help the Digidestined keep in touch with each other, especially now that they all have children, work and other priorities.

"Tai, hurry up, we're going to be late," his wife shouted.

"I'll be out in a second," he shouted back to her. He wiped off the last of the shaving cream from his chin, before grabbing a nearby towel to dry his face. He glanced at the mirror one final time, noting the wrinkles already beginning to show under his lips, around his cheeks and a little ways over his forehead. Closing his eyes, he sighed, before finally putting the shaving cream away and heading out the bathroom.

"Honey, don't forget to put on your tie. You have a meeting with the Board of Directors in four hours. Lord, knows how long we might be at the park," his wife digressed.

Tai looked at her, before heading into the walk-in closet. He peered at the many ties he owned, courtesy of his wife's constant persistence. Pulling out the nearest one, he walked back out, only to be scolded by his wife.

"Tai, not that one," she importuned. Walking up to him, she snatched the tie from his hand, while letting out a breath of hot air. "Honestly, sometimes I wonder what you would do without me," she added, while taking out another tie from the closet.

He rolled his eyes, but quickly smiled once his wife came out.

"Here you go, honey, this one will do much better," she declared.

He stood erect, as she fashioned the tie on him. "Sweetheart, it's only a dinner party with the Director of Communications and his wife," he clarified. He could hear her snicker.

"Nonsense," she objected, while continuing to fashion the tie. "Any party from a _Vaisouss_ is certain to increase our reputation with the Governor. Besides," she added, while walking to the vanity, after finishing his tie. "It's only a matter of time, before you finally gain that important client you've been talking about so much."

"You mean the Villalobos?" he queried. He could see her putting on a pair of diamond earrings.

"The very same," she remarked.

He sighed, while walking up to her, cradling her waist from behind. "Laura, don't you think we're overdoing this a bit?" he asked.

She turned around to face him. "Unless you want to spend the rest of the month being scolded by the French Ambassador, I differ."

He continued to look at her, noting her stern expression. He sighed again. "Fine," he caved, while holding up a hand. "But we're not hurrying up the party with the others," he added.

She turned to face the mirror again. "It's not like _that_ party is important," she expressed. "Honestly, I don't know why you keep going to that thing." She began to put on red lipstick. "It's dirty, wasteful, and if you ask me—,"

"Well, I didn't ask you," Tai interrupted, his voice a lower pitch.

She turned to face him again, her back leaning against the vanity. "You're right," she smirked. "So, how about this then," she offered. She began to saunter her way to their master bed, where he sat. "We go to the _Vaisouss_ party, we meet the Director of Communications, have a few drinks, laugh a little, and spend a great evening regaining that reputation you lost last month, or," she contrasted. "We stay at your friend's party, we have a great time, and we laugh for hours about it, all while missing the Director's evening celebration."

"Bu—," he tried to interject.

"Then," she continued, ignoring his interruption. "We wake up the next morning, only to find out that you not only lost one important client, ruined your reputation further, increased the hostility between the French and the Spanish, but also… what was it?" she queried, while placing a finger to her lip.

He sighed.

"Ah, that's right," she pretended to suddenly remember. "We also face the consequence of you being demoted, again Taichi," she called him by his full name.

He winced at that. "Laura," he began.

"I'm not going through another ordeal, simply because you want to play hooky with you friends," she remarked, while throwing her hands into the air. She quickly walked back to the vanity, ready to finish her make-up.

"Laura," he tried again. "This party is more important to me than some dinner celebration with Stephan and his wife, Madame le Punch, or whatever her name is," he digressed. He could hear her sigh, her back to him.

"First of all," she began, while pressing her hands against the surface of the vanity. "Her name is Prise, and second," she breathed, while turning to face him again. "We've talked about this already Tai."

He groaned. "But Laura," he protested. "Three hours with the others isn't enough," he began. "I need this, this is important to me. You know it only happens once a year." He began to put on a pouty face.

"Oh, Tai," she remarked. "Grow up. This isn't some play-date of some kind, or a get together with the boys. I'm sure your friends will understand."

He let out a long breath of air, before finally standing. "Okay," he sighed. "I- I'll go get Liam ready," he stated. He began to walk over to the door.

'Mm, you don't need too," she intercepted. She was putting blush on her face. "He's already dressed."

He looked at her. "In what?" he queried.

"His, black suit. Honestly, Tai. You don't expect the Ambassador's son to come to the dinner party dressed in what? A flimsy t-shirt and jeans?" she chuckled.

"Laura," he breathed her name. "Liam likes wearing whatever he wants when we go meet the others," he protested. He saw her nod in disagreement.

"Not this time," she muttered. "We won't have time to come back here and get him dressed. Now, unless you want to leave your friends party early, I suggest Liam goes in his nice black suit." She turned to face him, after putting her make-up back in the drawer. "Besides, we want him to look handsome, just like his father," she purred, while straightening his tie.

He rolled his eyes again. "Yeah, well, this handsome man needs to go pee," he quipped.

She snickered. "Oh, Tai, that's disgusting." She slapped him softly on the shoulder, before returning to the vanity.

Looking at her a final time, he quickly made his way over to the bathroom. A long stand, a few tinkles and a short flush, and he was back at the mirror, his head lowered to wash his hands. He rubbed them against each other, until finally placing them under the faucet. He took the chance to look up quickly, but stopped when he noticed the man standing before him. He sighed. He was wearing a new black suit, a dark tie, and his hair was combed through and neatly tucked into a fine style. Luckily for him, the men in his family didn't suffer from balding problems. Once drying his hands on the nearby hanging-towel, he then began to glide his hands over the small wrinkles on his face. As he stroked them, he reminisced over each of the small creases, knowing fully well how each had been created:

The lines on his forehead from the day he and Laura fought over whether they should divorce nine years back. The wrinkles on his cheeks from the years spent raising Liam. The small creases under his chin, from when he suffered his first heart attack three years ago, and the worst one. He unbuttoned his suit, while slowly lowering it to the ground to prevent it from wrinkling. He then turned around, only to find the scar still imprinted on his back. Three large lines were deeply carved along the bottom of his lower back, all the way to his shoulders. He exhaled slowly. He had received this undesired gift, when he had saved Laura from a fire almost a decade ago. It was also the memory of when he had proposed to her, after leaving the hospital almost three months later.

"Tai, you done?" his wife called through the door. Nodding his head, he picked up the suit, quickly outfitting it on his body again. He noticed the tie on the floor. Grimacing, he picked it up, and opened the door to the bedroom.

"Tai," she roared his name. "Why did you untie this?" she remarked, while snatching the tie from his hand. She clicked her tongue. "Oh, and we're late as it is," she remarked again.

He stared at her, as she continued to retie the tie on his neck. "Late?" he began. "Late for what?"

She exhaled deeply. "The director called," she noted.

He closed his eyes. He knew exactly what was coming next. After many years in the service he was in, it didn't surprise him the least. "What did he want?" he queried, after clearing his throat. She finished strapping his tie again.

"Well," she started her voice slightly nervous. "You remember when I told you that we needed to meet the ambassador today?" she asked. She saw him nod. "It turns out that he's coming over to the _Motel de Founts_, on Chasseur Ave."

He shrugged. 'So?" he asked. He saw her go over to the bed, picking up a paper from the bed.

"Look," she applied, while handing him the note-card.

He glanced at the paper, slowly taking it from her hand. After, reading its contents, he sighed. "Laura," he began. "I can—,"

She placed a finger to his lip. "I know what you're going to say," she remarked. "And I have a proposal," she added.

He continued to look at her. Sighing, he gave in. "Okay," he expressed. "What is it?"

"We go to this," she remarked, while pointing at the note-card, "and I promise you that for the next two weeks I'll do whatever it is you want. Be it going to some rough party, inviting your friends over for a barbecue, or… what is it that men like so much?" she quipped.

He chuckled. "Laura, it's fine," he chided. "I'll…," he looked at the note-card, tapping it against his palm. "I'll just call the others, and tell them I can't make it," he finished.

She quickly smiled, before frowning. "Tai," she breathed. She closed her eyes, before finally opening them again. "You don't have to do this you know. We—,"

"Laura," he called her name again. "Like I said, it's fine. Besides," he began, while walking out of the bathroom. He picked up the suitcase, which was leaned against the side of the vanity. "It's like you said. The last thing I need is to lower my reputation further."

She grimaced, before heading out of the bathroom. "Tai," she called his name. "I promise you, I'll find a way to make this up to you," she pledged.

He smiled weakly at her, while tightening his tie around his neck. "Don't worry about it," he expressed. "Now come on," he assured dryly. "We have to go. The governor must be tired of waiting for us at the hotel." He began to walk out of the bedroom, while holding his suitcase. He waited for his wife to head out of the room, before turning to look at it one more time. Sighing, he clapped his hands softly, the lights turning off to his response. Closing the door, the room became empty, and so it should remain, for more than ever after.

* * *

_In Another Place, Around the Same Hour_

"Sora, will you hurry up, we're going to be late to the park. Ken say's the barbecuing starts at 2:00, and I do not want to miss eating some of it," Matt entreated, while looking at his smart-phone.

"Well, maybe if you help me here," she protested.

He looked at her, watching as she was busy dressing their son, Aaron, into an old pair of jeans. He rolled his eyes, while snickering.

"What?" she barked.

He continued to watch her. "Sora, can't you dress Aaron into better jeans. The last thing we need is—,"

"Is for what Matt? For everyone to know we can't afford our son a decent pair of jeans?" she sniped.

"Ow, mom," Aaron groaned. He was rubbing against the foot of his knee.

"Oh sorry sweetie," she apologized, while holding the needle away from his body. She noted the blood seeping from the jeans. "Oh, that's just great," she groaned.

"What?" Matt asked while clicking off his phone. He walked over to them.

"It's nothing," Sora supplicated. "Aaron's jeans are just a little stained from his cut."

He stared wide-eyed. "Stained?" he asked, clearly oblivious to his son's wound.

She sighed angrily. "Aaron," she began, "go get me the first aid-kit from the downstairs bathroom," she obliged.

Her son continued to look at her.

"Aaron," she called his name again. He looked at her again. "Go downstairs, and get me the kit," she repeated.

"Why can't the nanny do it?" he whined.

Sora looked at Matt, before looking back at her son. "Because," she eased, "we had to let go of Nanny Susan.

"Why?" he whined. He was beginning to throw a small fit.

"Do as your mother say's," Matt roared. He watched as his son looked at him, nodding quickly, before leaving. Fear was one of the few ways he knew how to father.

"You don't have to yell at him," she huffed, while standing up.

He snickered again. "Yeah, well, either it was that or well tell him that we couldn't afford to pay Susan anymore," he snarled.

She sighed again. "Oh, Matt, don't start this again," she grumbled.

"What? Is there a problem with us being poor?" he queried angrily. His nostrils were beginning to flare.

"Well maybe we wouldn't be, if you hadn't lost your lousy job," she snapped.

"Wha… oh don't blame this all on me," he roared. "We wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. if we just didn't spend all our savings trying to recover what little was left from your damn business."

She beamed at him. "Oh, so you're saying it's all my fault then?" she bellowed. Her face was beginning to redden.

He opened his mouth, in shock. "Well, who else's is it Sora?" he asked, his shoulders making a shrugging movement.

"Yours, for starters," she retorted. He stared at her, stunned. She wanted to stop, but she was tired of him always blaming her for their sudden financial debt. "Yeah, I said it," she sniped. "You keep saying it's my fault every time, but have you ever thought, that maybe, just maybe, you had some part in it?" she queried. She was standing firmly on the ground now, facing him eye-to-eye.

He gave her an exasperated expression. "Oh, really?" he retorted. "So you're saying it's my fault why I lost my career, why you ended up losing yours, and why we are in all this mess, now?" he bellowed.

She stared at him, her eyes beginning to well up. "Oh, Matt," she grimaced. "You promised you'd never bring that up again," she croaked.

"Well, what am I supposed to say, Sora," he asked, his hands rapidly gesticulating. He continued to stare at her, noting the tears that were beginning to come out from her eyes. He rolled his own, while looking away. "Don't start," he groaned. "Every time we argue, you always cry, and then we get nowhere."

"Ma—," she wanted to counter his argument, but instead was interrupted by a sharp voice.

"Mom!' They both heard their son shout from downstairs. They guessed it to be his call for help.

"Ye- Yeah!" she screamed back, while trying her best to disguise the sadness in her voice.

"I need help," he yelled back. "I can't find the first-aid kit anywhere, and my knee's bleeding through my pant."

Sora looked at Matt, before responding. "I'll- I'll be there in a minute, honey," she shouted back. She hoped he wouldn't protest. She received her confirmation when he responded lightly. "Okay," she heard him yell. Sighing, she faced her husband again. "Matt—,"

"Sora, we'll…," he sighed, while rubbing his head. "We'll talk about this later," he breathed dryly. "I'm gonna' go help Aaron." With that, he began to walk out of the master bedroom.

She could hear him breathe deeply as he left. Once hearing the door slam shut from behind, she immediately fell to her knees, while holding a few pieces of fabric, close to her chest. "I'm so sorry," she moaned, as the tears began to fall from her eyes.

Climbing down the stairs quickly, Matt rubbed his hands through his hair. He couldn't get pass the idea of them suffering through a crisis. It was familiar territory. Something he hasn't dealt with for so many years. He sighed, as he entered the first floor's bathroom. "Aaron, you in here, buddy?" he called for his son.

"Dad, is that you?" his son responded.

Not responding, he walked carefully through the pile of thrown toilet paper, around the floor. He stopped when he stepped on a small puddle. Looking around, he noticed the outside of the tub filled to the top with water. The sinks were trashed, and the sundries were sprawled across the floor. "Aaron," he called his son angrily.

"Dad, don't come in," his son urged.

"Too late," he shot back. He walked over to other side of the bathroom, finally finding his son crouched behind one of the many furniture pieces within the room. He noticed a few tears in his eyes.

"Dad," he croaked.

"Aaron, what happened here?" he asked him worriedly. He crouched down to be at the same level as his son.

He nodded. "I- I heard you and mom arguing," he croaked. "I got scared, and- and… I started to throw stuff around. I- I didn't know what to do. I… is it my fault?" he cried.

Matt noticed him looking down at his knees while crying. Immediately recognizing why his son would think that, he began to embrace him. "No, son" he soothed. "It's not your fault. Mommy and daddy, they're… they're just going through a rough patch right now," he assured.

"But I heard you guys creaming. I didn't- I didn't know what I was doing?" he cried again. He was holding on to his father's arms, while burying his head on his shoulder. "I thought, I might have done something… something wrong."

Matt could hear his son's voice crack in-between. It tugged at his heart. "No, Aaron," he assured once more. He could feel him shaking, and so he began to stroke his hair. "Don't, you ever believe it's ever your fault," he implored.

Matt continued to rock him back-and-forth, while rubbing his back, noting the tears he felt, fall onto his shoulders. He kept it up for a while.

"Dad," his son croaked, breaking the silence. 'I'm so- so sorry."

He paused to look at him, noticing the stain on his pant. He smiled, nudging at him. "Don't be," he grinned. "It's not your fault, and it never will be. You got that?" he asked.

His son continued to look at him. "Bu—,"

"Not buts," he commanded. "I don't want to hear about it. Now tell me you got what I just told you."

He nodded.

"I can't hear you," Matt obliged.

"Yes," Aaron responded weakly, while rubbing at his eyes.

He smiled. "Good. Cause' we need to get this place cleaned up," he declared, while eyeing the bathroom around them. The floor was smudged with stains of water, dirt and varying spots of small blood drops.

"Bu- but what about the party?" he asked. He continued to rub at his eyes.

He looked back at him. "I'll tell you what," he proposed. "How about we miss the party, get this place cleaned up, and if we finish on time… maybe, we can go out for some ice cream or pizza- only mommy, me and your sister. You like that?" he asked him.

He nodded slowly, while continuing to rub his eyes.

"That's my little man," he roared, while picking his son up on his shoulders.

"Dad," his son cried. "I- I'm not a little boy anymore."

Matt smiled weakly, while continuing to hold him on his shoulders. "Oh, no?" he pretended to ask. "Then why is it that I can still do this," he pulled him down, and started to tickle him, while ignoring the water that was beginning to soak their clothes.

"Oh, no… da… dad, stop," his son cried, while trying to pull away from his grasp. After a few laughs, hard cries, and deliberate tugging, he was finally able to pull away from his father's clutches.

His father stared at him, watching as he pressed at his clothes, trying to squeeze all the water from it. "There's no point," he mused. "We're just going to end up getting wet, after cleaning all this mess."

He winced. "Do we really have to clean it," he whined.

He nodded. "That is, unless you don't want any pizza," he declared. He saw his son quickly react, already speeding off to fetch the mop. He smiled, thankful that he wasn't depressed anymore. Something he had to think about further in their lives. Pushing the thought away, he went over to help his son clean the bathroom, the both of them laughing about nothing.

Little did they know that a certain red-haired woman had been watching them for the past ten minutes, as they cried and laughed. She continued to watch them, peering from the corner of the bottom most step of the stairwell, gazing at them while smiling. She was holding a family photo close to her chest, as if to say- a memory she didn't want it to become. Not while she still had what she recently witnessed, in her life. Something she was too afraid to give up, just yet.

* * *

_In the offices of Larry H. Parker (no just kidding). In the offices of Oxford Reality Publishing House, Inc., April 8__th__, Noon_

The room was decorated from top to bottom with the most curious of figurines, wax dolls and wood carved puppets. Strange paintings and odd shaped desks engrossed the entire vicinity of the upper floor. The carpeting was designed to match the walls, which were as well, created to match the entire layout of the rest of the room. To an outsider's point-of-view, none would have guessed it to be the housing place for the most gregarious of writers, artists, sculptures and the like. For, to the eye, it resembled the living-space of someone who went on a frenzy with paint, after discovering that his lover had cheated on him.

Of course, as they say, _never judge a book by its cover_. For in the building's expanse, it housed the most professional of inventors, dabbers of oddities, writers of sorts, and surprisingly, lawyers who wanted to gain a bundle of a percent from those who whished to sue anyone from plagiarists to honest good men and women.

And no one knew this better than a certain blonde man, who had recently wrote his first series of successful shorts, and one novel, and now is in the process of writing his second. Sitting in a private space, formed by three sturdy walls, and a glass door, which blocked him from the rest of the crowd, no one could have guessed where he was in, unless they bothered to look. Although, he didn't mind, as he was focused and attentive on his work: screening, researching and creating small notes and doodles whenever an idea came to mind.

All was as usual for the moment, but it wouldn't last long— not on this particular day. He could hear a call come in from outside his enclosed office. He knew who it would be, the minute he heard his secretary say," I'll patch his number through". He sighed, while dragging the chair away from the desk, patiently waiting for phone to ring. Tapping his nail against the wooden desk three times, the phone finally rang. He quickly picked it up. "Yes," he voiced dryly through the phone. He didn't like it when others interrupted his deep thinking.

"Takeru, it's me Mimi," his friend announced. "Listen, I have a favor to ask," he heard her quickly express. He pulled the phone away from his ear, letting out a small sigh, before following up. "What's the favor?" he asked. He turned his chair to look at the stack of papers, already doing the math in his head.

"I was wondering if you could pick up some sausages, a few hot dogs, and maybe some dim-sum on your way to the park?" she asked him. He sighed again, while peering at the papers before him once more. "Mimi," he began his voice exasperated. "Awe, come on T.K." she whined through the phone. He pulled it away slightly from her sharp voice, while chuckling at what she called him. She hasn't called him by his nickname in a long time.

"Mimi," he tried once more. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you right now," he expressed. "I have a lot of—," the phone clicked. He looked at it, somewhat stunned by her reaction. "Well," he spoke aloud. He banged the cordless phone back on its receiver, then let out a breath of air. He continued to look at it, trying to decide whether he should pick it up to call her back. "Why should I?" he questioned into the open air. "She's the one with the problem." He pushed the chair back to its place, readying himself to continue where he left off.

A stack of small white papers were laid out in front of him, each imprinted with a few dabbles of notes, containing thoughts that had flashed in his mind hours ago. He sighed once more, before picking up his pencil, motioning to write again. A few inches from the pencil meeting its partner, he peered at the phone again. He let out a small chuckle. "Tch. Like she'd ever call me if I did the same." Ignoring his own comment, he averted his attention back to the papers before him.

Several minutes passed, while he stared at the white blank sheet directly in front of him. Gazing at its emptiness, but his thoughts elsewhere, he couldn't get the thought of Mimi out of his head. Annoyed by his lack of concentration, he leaned back against his chair, while tapping the pencil on the desk. Snickering, he dropped the yellow object, then quickly picked up the phone from its receiver. "Angela," he voiced to his secretary. "May you please connect me to my wife," he charged.

"Of course sir, just a moment," he heard her respond. He leaned against the desk, elbow on top, while clicking at the end of the phone with his finger. Over the years he had grown a nasty habit of always having to tap something while waiting.

Several second passed by, before a voice came through. "Takeru?" he heard a female voice. "Kari," he responded. "Oh, thank goodness! You answered." He could hear someone in the background— although, it quickly quieted down, after he heard a shushing sound from a deeper voice. He furrowed his eyebrows. "Is someone there with you?" he asked.

He could hear a giggle, before she answered. "No," he heard her reply. He pushed his head back, before speaking again. "You sure, cause' it kind of sounds like someone else is there with you," he pressed. "Someone with a _deeper_ voice," he stated slowly.

He heard her giggle again. "Oh Takeru.," he heard her remark. "It's just me and the kids," she assured. He grimaced. "I doubt the boys are that much older for their voices to start settling in. I mean, Lucas is like? Barely ten?"

"Nope," he heard her deny. "Anyways," she followed up quickly, something he noticed evidently. After many years of constant observation, speculation and preservation, he had gained an uncanny ability to analyze even the smallest of quips, remarks, tones and gestures. "What'd you call for?" he heard her finish.

He sighed, while shoving the other thought aside. Leaning against the chair again, while pushing back against the desk with his feet, he then answered. "It's Mimi," he began. "Ever, wonder why she's been acting so… moody lately."

There was a pause at the other end. "You there Kari?" he asked. He heard another small laughter coming through, followed by, what he thought sounded like a, "We'll continue once you hang up"; though he wondered whether he was hearing it right.

"Yeah," she responded, once his anxiety began to well up again. "What do you mean by moody?" he heard her ask, before he could ask her if there really was someone with her. Shoving the thought aside again, he continued. "I mean, has she been acting rather funny. I mean, I know Mimi, and all. But today she called and hanged up on me right away," he muttered the last part while eyeing his door, as if she was on the other side, waiting to burst through it.

There was another pause, but no noise came though this time. He could hear her chuckle, before answering. "T.K.," she called his name. His heart jittered at it. No one has called him that by that name in a really long time, and yet Mimi and Kari did in the same day. "Mimi, told me not to tell anyone, but…," she paused again.

He didn't notice it, but he was leaning forward, his chest pushing against the desk. "She's pregnant," he heard her voice through. This time he really was in shock. "Real- really?" he stated nervously.

"Yeah," she assured. "She told me last month, but don't tell her I told you. She made me promise not to tell anyone but the girls," he heard her beg. He chuckled lightly. "I- I won't, but I have to ask. I thought she and Michael got divorced three years ago?"

"Yeah, Mimi told us he isn't the father," he heard her respond. "Real- really?" he repeated again, more nervously.

"Mm, yeah. She said it's someone we know, but she won't tell us yet," she remarked. T.K. felt his spine tingle, a cold feeling seeping through his neck, slowly sliding down to the pit of his stomach.

"So," his voice shrieked. He quickly cleared his throat before speaking again. "So, how long has she been pregnant?" he asked her.

"Four months," she quickly responded. He felt another pang at his stomach. "She said she didn't plan on this one, but at the same time she's happy. Although, she told us she wouldn't say who the dad was until the baby was finally born," she assured. He heard her laugh. "You know what's funny T.K.?" she queried.

He shook his head, while trying to clear his thoughts. "What?" he asked, his voice still shaky. He didn't notice his hand tightening around the phone.

"Mimi said that once the baby is born, we'll know who it is for sure, without her having to tell us. Although, I don't want to say anything, but I think it might be Davis's," she remarked.

T.K. could have sworn he heard a shout from the background. Ignoring it once again, and preoccupied with other matters, he continued to pry. "Wh- why would you think it's Davis?" he asked. He heard her chuckle again.

"No reason," she responded. "I just thought it was a funny to say. But I guess we really won't know, until the baby is finally born."

He sighed. "You okay?" he heard her ask. He silently banged his head against the chair. "Yeah," he expressed several seconds later, while staring up at the ceiling, in a leaning position. "I- I just called to tell you that I don't think I'll be able to go to the park today. I have a lot of work to do, and—,"

"You coming home early?" he heard her ask, noticing a hint of nervousness in her voice. "No," he replied, while shaking the thought away. "But I called to tell you that I won't be making it, and that if you can tell the others I'm sorry."

"Oh, I can't," she quickly declared. He eyed the phone, before placing it back on his ear. "Really?" he stated.

"Yeah." She replied, before continuing. "Some of the kids have been failing third grade, so I have to correct these extra papers, and well, I can't make it to the reunion either."

He sighed again. The thought of Mimi pregnant, kept running through his mind. "Well, then I guess we'll both follow up with the others later," he remarked.

"I guess so," she readily agreed.

"All right then, I'll see you later honey," he expressed. "I'll see you later too," he heard her reiterate. He hung up the phone, hearing it click, before leaning his back against the chair heavily. He sighed, while running his hands through his hair. "Oh, Mimi," he groaned aloud. "Why?" He closed his eyes, allowing his mind to drift into distant memories.

Back at home, where two kids were playing outside, alongside a happy woman, sat two adults, each looking at the other, in the upstairs bedroom; their faces red with deceit. "Do you think he noticed, Kari," a man asked her.

She nodded her head. "No, but we have to be more careful next time. The last thing I need is for my husband to start getting suspicious."

The man chuckled. "Relax," he breathed. "He won't know nothing."

She smiled at him, as he nudged at her. "Still, I think what we're doing is wrong," she grimaced.

He snickered. "Kari, what he doesn't know, won't hurt him," the man assured. "Besides, so long as the kids don't see anything, and your husband is away, then we're good," he added.

She smiled weakly again. "If you say so," she stated slowly. "If, you say so…" She leaned against the bed, while watching as he walked over to the dresser, quickly taking out a pair of jeans. "I'm telling you Kari, this is the best thing we've done yet," the man mused.

She smiled at him, before looking out the bedroom window, noting as her kids played with the nanny. She was grateful for her, but she couldn't shake the feeling inside her gut. Brushing the thought away, she continued to gaze out the window, grinning as her kids bounced happily on the trampoline; each of them, ignorant of the things that were happening behind closed doors.

It wasn't long before the day set, with the sun shining high on the pillars of the afternoon spring, radiating down on the faces of six individuals, whose lives were tossed and turned from the years spent together. Each of them, with a hidden agenda, clandestine emotions, closed memories, and dark secrets. For none could have guessed, what truly went on in the years that have passed, and ones' they would have to relive once more, unless the desired life was no longer so… enticing.

* * *

**So this is the ending. I was going to extend it more, with Yolei-Ken and, possibly, Joe-OC, but I thought I'd leave the blah-blah characters out for this session. Also, I left Mimi out (she is NOT a blah-blah character), because I have already created her as divorced. I haven't stated whether some of the un-introduced characters are, yet, so don't get any ideas. As I have stated before, this story will quickly transcend into a time shift (I still have yet to decide what causes it) that send them back in time. Also, to answer it, beforehand: Yes, they will retain ALL their memories. Every single one. Hope you guys enjoyed this, and as you may have noticed, I have thrown around tidbits, of what their lives are like, their spouses, and other not-so-pretty details. Please don't forget to review, follow and favorite. Also, send me some ideas of where you'd like me to go with this, if you want. I always give full credit. **


	2. Compunction

**I have finally written the second chapter to this story. I can't believe how long it has taken me. Okay, so I introduce the (what I call) blah-blah characters of the season's cast. Note: I left out Izzy and Joe, because I have something else planned for them. Okay, so I hope you may enjoy this chapter. Disclaimer: I do NOT own Digimon, obviously. Imagine if I did? I wouldn't be here right now writing Fanfics... maybe, possibly. Then again, I do have a lot of ideas. At least, way too many for one Television series per season. **

* * *

_A Shift in Time Café, April 8__th__, early morning. _

The rain pelted down, where they were, each of them holding the other's hand. They were both looking out the window, their faces grim. The room around them was painted an ivory color, with the carpeting beneath them, a light shade of lavender. The woman leaned back on the chair, holding her head onto the palm of her hand. She sighed, while continuing to look out the window.

The man looked at her, his expression in contempt. He eyed her, noting the sadness spread across her face. He kept his hold on her hand, until she finally pulled away. He grimaced at that. "Yolei…," he began.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry Ken, I…," she stammered.

He continued to look at her.

She looked at him now, her face solemn. "I can't do this," she finally expressed.

He sighed. "Yolei—," he tried again.

She shook her head again. "Not this time, Ken," she uttered. She could see him look at her, his face lowering. She knew it was wrong to make him feel this way, but at the same time, she knew better than to let it go any further now. "We have to look out for the well-being of our kids. We need to ensure that they'll have a safe future."

He leaned back sighing. Clearly he had heard what he didn't want. "I know, Yolei," he vexed.

'Then you have to do it," she stated. "You have to turn yourself in. It's the only way we'll get this thing over with."

He snickered. "It's not that easy," he stated darkly. He looked at her, his eyes narrow. "This isn't some game or another—,"

"I know it isn't," she shouted. She closed her eyes, before opening them again. She let out a breath of air. "I know it isn't," she repeated, this time in a lower tone. "But, you need to do this, nonetheless. Think of our children," she interposed.

He exhaled heavily. "Don't you think I know that?" he queried. He looked down at the table before them. His hands were holding a piece of parchment. He wrapped them tightly around it. "It's just… this is so damn hard," he whined.

She breathed heavily as well. She placed her hand on top of his. "I know it is, honey," she gestured. She called him in a marital sense, to assure him that she'll always be there for him.

He pulled away, causing her to blink in surprise. Shaking his head, he uttered a, "no". "You don't," he argued. "You're just saying that. But, you know what?" he asked. He stood up, while holding his hands tightly around the paper. "It doesn't matter whether you understand, because I'm not doing this for you. All I do from now on, it's for the kids." With that, he dropped the paper onto the table before grabbing his coat and heading out the dusty room; leaving behind a slightly shocked Yolei.

She watched as he made his way over to the front of café. Upon hearing the bell jingle, and the revolving door close, did she finally sigh; her head on the palm of her hand again. She looked out the window again, noting as her husband entered the red Camaro, wondering to herself why they even bought the stupid car in the first place. She snickered slightly. "Oh, Ken," she muttered softly. "Why can't you just understand?"

Not wanting to brood on her thoughts, she continued to watch him, until he finally drove off the parking lot. Sighing, she reached inside her purse, to pull out her smart-phone. Clicking the screen several times, until she finally dialed in the number, she then placed it to her ear. A small tone could be heard from the other side, before someone finally answered. "Hey, Yolei" she heard a voice respond. She smiled at that. "How did you know it was me?" she asked rather quietly. Despite the fact that she was the only person present within the café, she still didn't want to talk too loudly.

She could hear him chuckle. "Your name is registered on my phone, remember?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah," she replied. She slouched down on the bench-seat, taking on a more comfortable position. "So anyways, what'd you call for?" she heard him ask. She sighed. "Well Izzy, to be honest, I kind of have to ask you to do me a favor." She could hear him sigh in return. She grimaced at that.

"Okay," he breathed. 'What is it?"

She frowned, but quickly smiled, trying her best to ignore his reluctance. "Well," she began. She placed a finger on the lobe of her ear, slightly caressing her earring. "Ken's been having some… issues, and I was hoping—,"

"What kind of issues?" he pried.

She chuckled. "Does it matter?" she asked.

He chuckled back. "Ah yea, if you want me to help, I first have to understand all the details," he argued.

She pulled the phone away from her ear, slightly scoffing at what he said. She rolled her eyes in displeasure. It was typical of Izzy to always have to know something, before ever giving a favor. She knew he didn't really care for the details, only simply to not know something was what actually bothered him. Shaking her head, she placed the phone back on her ear. "I can't tell you everything, but I will say this. Ken's going through a rough patch right now, and well…," she trailed.

"Let me guess. You want me to pull some files, hack some systems and what… take down your husband's name, again?" he asked.

She smiled at that. 'You know me too well Koushiro," she remarked. She heard him laugh a little. "So, can you do it?" she asked, after she was sure he was done snickering on his end.

He sighed. A small pause echoed through, before he finally answered. "It might take a while Yolei, and even then, I can't guarantee what will happen; especially when I don't know all the glory details."

"I know," she assured. "But I can't tell you what's happening just yet. I promise to tell you some day, but just…,"

"I know," he reassured. "It'll be like last time right?"

She nodded as if though he could see her. "Yes," she remarked after realizing it.

He sighed again. "I'll see what I can do, but like I said, I can't promise anything."

"I know," she uttered. "But anything is better than nothing, right?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess."

She smiled weakly. "Thanks Koushiro, this means a lot to me. That you're doing this, I mean. I know I haven't really shown—,"

"Its fine Yolei, really," he countered, before she could finish. "But um… while I still have you on the phone," he digressed. "I need you to tell the others that I can't make it to the reunion today. Something came up and—,"

"Oh, I can't," she voiced. She waited for him to say something, but instead received silence. "Ken and I… we're going through this rough patch right now and well, we need to settle a few things before they get out of hand." She stopped playing with her earring, and instead let her hand fall onto the surface of the table.

"Oh, well that sucks," was all he said. "Well okay then, I guess I'll just e-mail everyone about it then," he finished.

She scoffed again. "Izzy, you can't just _e-mail_ everyone about it. You know how sensitive some of us are about this thing," she countered. She heard him laugh again. "Tell you what," she continued after he was done. "Do me this favor, and I'll call everyone for you, on your behalf," she offered.

"I thought you didn't have the time to tell the others?" he posed.

She shook her head. "Nope. I just said I couldn't make it the reunion today. I never said… well its not like it matters," she quickly digressed. "Do we have a deal or no?"

She waited several seconds, until he finally answered. "Yeah, I guess that'll be fine. But remember, I won't be able to change anything until tomorrow, okay?"

She nodded. "Tomorrow's fine," she readily agreed. "So I guess I'll be hearing from you again then?" she queried.

"I guess so," he repeated back.

She nodded, before pulling away the phone. She was about to click it off, but stopped when his voice rang through again. 'Oh, Yolei before I forget." She pulled the phone back next to her ear. "Yeah?" she asked.

"I hope Ken doesn't mess this one up," he stated. She was ready to retaliate, but he hung up before she could. She snickered. "Stupid Izzy," she muttered. She sighed, before looking out the window again. The sky began to clear, and the pelting rain soon turned into a drizzle. She could see the rays of the sun beginning to shine through. She smiled at it, before allowing her mind to drift into the atmosphere of the traditional café.

* * *

_In the offices of Larry H. Parker, Japanese Division (I really mean it this time. It's really in that place). Courtroom 1B. _

"I'm telling you right now, it's either we do this right now, or we set him free. What does it mean to be a citizen? What does it mean to be human? Are we all not the same? Are we not all entitled to a second chance?" The man shouted, walking to the panel of juries. He looked at them sternly, his face confident. "Please, ask yourselves this." He pointed at the man sitting by another on the east side of the room. "Does he, a man of his age, truly deserve incarceration for many years? A young man still in his prime, ready to take action, see the world, live in it. A man, who by some adolescent mistake, is taken away from all these opportunities. Are we not all guilty in some form or another?" he stared at the panel again, his gaze determined.

There were soft murmurs heard from the row of people behind closed gates. They looked on, some with solemn expressions, others, faces with acknowledgment. He could hear them, their voices contemplating. He smiled, knowing fully well, he had caught their attention. He walked back to the front of the courtroom. "Ladies and gentlemen," he addressed formally. 'I do not blame you for wanting this man in prison," he stated while pointing at the young man in front of him. He looked timid, slightly mortified by his fate at the hands of a panel of miscreant or otherwise, incompetent minds. The man could see him, his face shrugging for assurance. He then looked back at the jury. "I do not blame you for wanting this man to get what he deserves. For by all means, the evidence here," he raised the papers in his hands, "proves it. But, in the end…," he paused for dramatic affect. He looked at the judge, nodding slightly, before looking back. "In the end, it's up to each and every one of you, who decides whether the crime truly fits the punishment,' he finished. He shot the panel of juries a confident smile, before looking back at the judge, nodding again, before taking his seat.

There were murmurs again, some of their voices high, some low, each contemplating once more for a decision. It wasn't long before the judge slammed is navel, shouting for, "Order, I said order," he screamed. The courtroom silenced once more. A bulky man, aged slightly above his retirement, his hands crinkled, he rubbed them at his temples. "Now that both sides – the plaintiff and the defendant have reasoned their cases, it is time for the jury to decide," he wheezed. He looked over to them, his bony finger pointing. "Mr. Carson, if you may," he regarded.

The tall police officer nodded, walking slowly to the panel of juries. He opened the gates for them, allowing them climb down, until they were all at ground level. He then motioned them to follow, leading them through a door, at the back of the courtroom.

It wasn't until the final jury member entered, when Cody sighed. He rubbed at the head of his temples, before looking at the young man he was defending. He looked scraggly, his hair tangled, and his clothes in jail attire. Chuckling slightly, he then addressed him. "Ayden, you don't have to look so tight. Even if the hearing doesn't go well this time, you can always ask for an appeal," he assured.

The man groaned, cradling his hands to his head. "Oh, but you don't get it Mr. Hida. I can't go to prison. I'm only seventeen."

He shrugged back. "Which is why they won't send you…," he paused, looking at him in the eyes. 'At least, not yet. Don't worry about it though, I'm sure we'll have you home in no time," he assured once more.

The young man looked at him, smiling weakly. "If you say so…," he trailed. He looked down at the table, his hands together from the cuffs tightened around his wrists.

The older man looked at him, his eyes drooping. He looked with familiar contempt, knowing all too well, what it was like to have your while life ahead of you destroyed by some immature mistake. He knew it, for a friend once went through an analogous ordeal a few years younger than his age at the time. "Ayden," he called his name again. "I know you don't want to hear this, but maybe it's for the best—,"

"Don't say it," the young man protested. "My mom already wants nothing to do with me, my dad excommunicated me and pretty much everyone I know, now doesn't want to be near me. Please," he begged. "I can't lose you too."

He looked at him, noting the sadness and desperation in his face. A face of someone who knows what life will be like for him over the course of his lifetime. A man who knows how hard it will be to live it. A young man, who now knows deeply inside, whether he goes to prison or not, that his life will forever be scarred. He sighed, shooting a weak smile at him. "I will never give up on you, Ayden," he assured. "No matter what happens, I promised your grandmother, on her deathbed, that I would always look after you. I won't be like your family and friends. I won't abandon you."

The young man smiled, his steel-blue eyes lighting up. "Thanks Mr. Hida. It really means a lot that you're here. Not just because you're my lawyer, but…,' he trailed.

He could see him looking down again. To ease his mood, he bumped against him slightly. He looked up again. "You know. If it's any consolation, I don't think you did it," he stated. The young man looked at him with confusion. He chuckled again. "Stealing all that money from the treasury, I don't think you're capable of such a thing."

He gazed at him, smiling weakly. "Yeah well, the evidence says otherwise," he gestured towards the papers in front of the lawyer.

"Which is why I believe you won't get incarcerated," the lawyer amicably restated.

The man looked at him, hopeful. "What do you mean?"

He smiled back. "The papers here," he lifted them off the table. "Only show that you were there at the exact time and place. Now, I know that doesn't sound reassuring, but I tell you now, I have been at this business for many years. So, believe me when I say this: this information alone will most likely just create a dent in your files. Nothing more."

The young man smiled. "So, you think the jury will lift my sentence?" he queried. He pulled on the cuffs, trying to move the dirty-blonde bangs from his eyes.

The lawyer nodded. "Not exactly," he confessed. He saw him frown. "Don't get me wrong, they will convict you for the crime, but maybe not so much as a five year sentence,' he assured. "If anything," he reached for his hand. "They'll just assign you with community service, maybe a few months of probation, and perhaps mandatory therapy," he finished. He patted his hand, smiling while he did.

The young man smiled back, until the doors in front of them began to open once more. A case of jurors stormed out, some who fuming faces, others with happy grins. The young man wondered whether the happy people were on his side.

"That was fast," the older man remarked.

"I bet," was all the younger man could think to say. It didn't matter, though, for soon the judge returned, reinitiating the session. "Do we have a verdict?" the young man heard him say. He looked over at the jury, their faces nodding.

"Yes," a chubby woman with red hair spoke. She was holding a paper out for everyone to see.

"Proceed," the judge entreated.

Ayden could see the woman nod, clearing her throat before reading the list of, what eh thought to be, his doom. He closed his eyes, fear striking at his heart. He could feel his pulse increase, his hands perspiration heavily. He rubbed at them, trying his best to ease his breath.

"Relax,' Cody muttered to him. He beamed at him, nodding sternly before looking back the jury.

"In the case of the defendant, Ayden Samuels," the woman continued. "We find him to be guilty on several accounts."

He could feel his heart drop at the sound of it— guilty. The words echoed through his mind, leaving behind small traces of perpetual disparity. He tried his best to sit vertically, but found it hard, when time seemed to slow down. He felt his eye grow heavy.

Cody, acknowledging his state, turned to the judge, nodding slightly. He nodded back.

"Of these accounts, what charges are they?" he posed.

"Theft by the third degree, vandalism of government property at the second degree…,"

As the woman read the seeming to never end, list, he could feel his heart increase in rate. Each word she spoke, he felt, only added to his misery. All he wanted was for this day to be over. He didn't know when, but the lawyer had nudged him, bringing him back into reality. He blinked several times.

"Mr. Samuels, do you understand the terms that have been given to you?" the judge asked. His tone was stern, if not, slightly angry.

He nodded. "I—,"

"You will be facing 240 hours of community service, three months of house arrest, three years of mandatory therapy after your initial house arrest and two years of probation, wherefore you are not allowed to go near any bank, institution or cash exchange service. Do you understand these terms?" the judge repeated.

The young man nodded, his heart decreasing in rate. He didn't like the idea of having to do all the things mentioned, but he figured it was a whole lot better then a sentence.

"Very well," the judge announced. "This session is now over." With that, he slammed the navel once more, instigating for the entire room to clear out.

After many of the people had left, and only a few others remained, it was when Cody walked up to the young man, after having spoken to his prosecutor. "So?" he queried his hands inside his pockets. "You feel better now?" he asked with concern.

The man nodded, his bangs covering the tip of the top of his eyes. "I suppose," he breathed. "I mean, it's not the best, but hey, it beats having to spend the next five years in some crappy cell, right?" he vexed.

He smiled weakly. He walked over to him, looking with concern. "Look, Ayden," he began. "I know you don't like the prospect of having to be under house arrest for the next three months, or whatever, but you still have to pay the consequences—,"

"I thought you said you knew I didn't do it," he countered.

Cody looked at him, his expression solemn. "I don't,' he supplicated. "But the people in here," he pointed to the ground, "don't know that. They see you as a criminal, and unfortunately, will treat you as such," he clarified.

The young man sighed. He rubbed at his wrists again. He smiled, happy that they were off him now. He didn't like the feeling of them being on. It made him feel like an actual criminal. Not wanting to take it for granted, he then looked at the lawyer once more. "Thanks for everything," he expressed. This caused the man to blink in confusion. "For not just being my lawyer," he continued. 'But also," he looked down at the manila folder in front of him. "For kind of being there for me. You know," he uttered, slightly under his breath.

He smiled at him, knowing fully well what he meant. He rubbed his back in assurance. "You have a place to stay for now?" he asked. The older boy nodded, causing him to frown.

"No, but I guess I'll rent a room or something. I mean, I don't have a lot of money and whatever, but I'll manage," he declared.

He looked at him. He could see it all in his face. If he wasn't broken now, he would be later. He sighed, knowing fully well what might occur from this decision. Shaking hid head, he did anyways. "You want to stay at my place?" he finally asked. "At least, until you can get back on your feet?" he added.

The young man looked up, his eyes shimmering. "You serious?" he asked.

The lawyer nodded. "I mean, you'll have to do your chores, and finish schooling, but…,' his voice trailed, when the young man suddenly embraced him. "Thank you Mr. Hida," he heard him croak. He figured he must've been holding back some tears from earlier. Coming too from his shock, he then embraced him back, patting him all the while, like a father to his son. "For what?" was all he could think to ask.

"For everything," he replied.

He continued to embrace him, though he could feel a few tears slide down the back of his neck. The young man was crying. "I know I never told you this," he heard him say. The next words made his chest quiver, sending down a feeling to the pit of his stomach. "But I sometimes wish you were my real dad," he heard him confess. "You're always there for me when I need you, and I just want to say thank you," he expressed. "For everything." This caused him to tighten his hold. "I-," he stammered. He pulled away, to look at him in the eyes. He smiled sheepishly.

'What?" the man asked, while rubbing at his eyes.

He chuckled. "I'm sorry, I just." He rolled his eyes. "From all the years I've known you, since you were growing up. I never once seen you cry," he remarked. "Even when you were a baby, and I carried you, you still refused to shed a single tear,' he added.

The young man chuckled. "I'm still human, Mr. Hida," he remarked.

"Dad," he corrected, causing the younger male to look at him in shock.

"What?" was all he said.

"You told me that you wish I was your father, right?" The man remained motionless. He shook his head. "Well your father did abandon you, so I'm going to fill in that role now," he remarked. The man continued to remain motionless. He reached out, patting him on the shoulder.

He blinked several times. "Mr. Hida…,"

"Didn't I just tell you to call me dad," he posed.

"I'm sorry, but this… it's all too fast," he expressed. He was tugging at the lower end of the hair, trying to conceal as much of his face as possible.

He sighed. 'I know it won't be easy, and me right now asking you all of this, may be awkward. But, I already talked to your father and mother about this a while back."

"My parents?" he asked. "Talked about what?"

He sighed again. He motioned for him to sit down, doing the same for himself. After they were both seated, he continued. "Before all of this," he gestured with his hands. "There was a point in your life, maybe two years back, when I offered your parents to adopt you. Now I know, that seems out of line," he posed, before he could say anything. "But you have to understand, having abusive parents, and then the social system for kids nowadays, I could see your life crumbling the minute I walked into that house, three years back."

"Mr. Hida… I." he trailed, his head lowering. "Why?" he asked, his face still down.

"Why what?" he asked in confusion. He could see the younger man's fingers, noting the life left in them. He knew this was the best decision to make. He had to raise him right, while he still could.

"Why did you… why do want to adopt me?" he questioned his motive.

He placed a hand on his, noting the wrinkles that were beginning to form. "Ayden," he began. "All my life, I have spent raising you. I saw you the day you were born, the day you graduated from elementary… heck, you even came to me for advice on a girl you liked three years ago." He could see the young man's grow solemn. He breathed heavily. "Ayden, do you remember the day, almost seven years now. The day when your father first hit you?" He could see the man remain motionless, he continued nonetheless. "You came to me, after having run what? Almost three miles. But still you came to me, out of everyone, begging me to take you in. Begging me for help. And you know what I saw that day?" he asked.

He continued to remain idle. Nodding, he reached out, and picked his face up to meet him squarely in the eyes. "I saw a little boy, frightened, but unwilling to cry. A little boy so scared, yet he tried his best to remain strong. And do you know what I see now?" he queried. He looked deeply into the young man's eyes, his gaze unwavering. He searched deep inside, and only saw what was once before. "I see those same eyes," he remarked. "I see those same eyes, trying their best to remain strong, to not be weak. Even more so, I know you need my help now, more than ever. That day I took you back to your parents, I regret to this day. I turned you away, Ayden." He let go of his face. "I betrayed your trust. You came to me for help, and I turned my back on you." He looked down at the pile of papers in front of him.

"Mr. Hida…," the boy tried to speak.

"But, I won't do the same this time. That day I left you, ever since then, I've known you became more distant. I won't do the same thing again. I couldn't. I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"Mr. Hida," he tried again, his voice soft.

"Please, Ayden. I know I'm asking too much from you. But, I can't let you go back to your parents, and I can't let you live off of whatever funds you've earned. It wouldn't be right of me. You're like…," he paused, slightly thinking about what he was about to say. He could see the young man's eyes, all the pain, all the loneliness inside. "You were like… you're like a son to me. I've seen you grow up, much like my daughter. You both played together, even though you're six years older."

"Mr. Hida, I…," he breathed. "I don't know what to say. I'm…," his gaze lowered once more. "I don't feel like I deserve this,' he finally admitted.

He nudged him, causing him to look up. "Don't you ever think about yourself in that way," he ordered. "You're a good boy, and a smart young man. I know, I've seen your grades. Maybe, life hasn't given you the best side of the cake but you'll get your turn. But I'm asking you Ayden, don't shut me out now. I've known you for too long, to let you do that."

"But what can I do?" he asked. His face began to contort one more. He was breathing heavily. "Everything around me is falling into pieces so fast, and I- I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I—,"

"It's okay," he assured. He embraced him once more, much like when he was a small child. "I may not understand everything you're going through, or even begin to know what you're feeling. But there is one thing," he stated. He reached out to pat his head. "I know you need a father for once. Not just another man in your life, but someone to guide you. To help you through this difficult part in your childhood."

"Mr. Hida…," he breathed through his tux.

"You can call me dad if you want," he repeated. "No more of this Mr hida, business," he voiced.

He pulled away. He looked at him, his eyes stern. "Mr. Hida, what about my parents?" he questioned.

He waved. "With my experience, the judges will emancipate you like this," he snapped his fingers. "Even so, I know you'll be eighteen soon, but I still want to adopt you, even if it means for only a few months," he expressed.

He smiled his face lighting up. "Thank… thanks," he expressed. "Thanks, dad,' he finally stated, although not while cringing in the eyes.

He smiled at that. "Okay, we'll work on the dad thing later, but for now," he turned to look at the room around them. "We have to get out of here, because I think Mrs. Wallace is giving me that 'look' again," he jested.

He turned to look where he was staring at. He saw a rather slim woman, with blonde braids staring, her face looking at them sternly. He made a face. "Yikes!" he yelped.

The lawyer, smiled in bemusement. He stood, motioning for the young man to follow him. "Come one," he offered a hand. "Let's go. I think I may have some court files to fill out before the end of this day."

The young man frowned slightly at that, but soon smiled afterwards. He stood, standing a little taller than him, while they walked out of the courtroom. The room behind them continued on with its usual routine. The two men walked outside the courthouse, each smiling at what the new dawn faced.

"Oh, wait," the older one paused.

"What is it?" the younger one queried.

"I have to call some friends. I have to cancel a reunion of sorts."

"Why, we can go?" he assured.

The man nodded. "Nah, it won't help. Besides, I have to spend the rest of day filling out paperwork."

"Can't your paralegal do that?" he asked. A few men passed them, walking swiftly down the outside steps.

He nodded. "Not those papers," he stated. 'These," he quipped, while raising a pair of colored papers up for him to see. They read: Emancipation and the other, Adoption.

He smiled at that. "So, I suppose we're getting this over with right away?" he asked.

He nodded. "Really? I say it's overdue by seven years," he declared. He pulled a phone out, tucking it to his ears.

The younger man stared, his eyes hopeful. The sun rose high on that morning, bringing in the sense of a new calm, as it brimmed through the horizon. The remnants of rain were still scattered across the courtyard, leaving behind trickles of dewdrops in its wake. The faces of nine individuals stared on, as the morning brought in anew sense of reality. Some whose lives were filled with regret, others whose lives were only beginning to crumble; and then there were those whose lives were simply beginning to piece themselves back together.

* * *

_If this chapter came out... rather lame. I sincerely apologize for that. To be honest, I don't really care for the characters in this chapter, and I don't really want to write about them. I did however, but again, if it's crappy or whatever, I apologize. I'll try my best to increase my focus for them (also, to forewarn, I don't really care for Izzy and Joe either... just a heads-up). _

* * *

**I know, "OMG, where's Kari, where's T.K., where's Matt, Tai, Sora or Mimi," wha-wha-wha. Okay, that might have been a bit too much at the end. But anyways, they didn't come out, because this is still the same time frame as the previous characters. I have to introduce everyone else (except Joe and Izzy, who have something else planned). Also, I know Davis didn't come out either, but he will by the next chapter, along with the time shift... which will finally take place in the next chapter. I just felt I had to introduce a little of the backdrop (story) before engaging into it. Also, the Digimon are absent for this session, at least, until further notice, or whatever. Anyways, please don't forget to review, follow and favorite. **


	3. Contemplation

**Okay, wow, so I haven't updated this story in forever. Anyways, I'm just going around updating all my stories so they can at least look up to current date. I hope this one came out decent, since I didn't really put much thought into it, honestly speaking. I did my best to polish it, but I have been more preoccupied now that school's starting again. How I regret wasting my summer away, other than writing this stories...then again, maybe not. Okay, enough of me, read on if you want. **

* * *

_Okazaki Residence, Political Gala, Late Afternoon_

"_It's been so long. How many years now? I…I can't seem to remember. Let me think. I… Maybe I'm over-thinking all of this. Perhaps? I am older now. I can't just pretend like I have no obligations, or any duties to perform. She needs me. My son needs me. I-I have to be here for them, if not for myself, them at least. But…why does it all feel so wrong? Why, does saying all this make me feel worthless, small and unsure? Is it because, I'm afraid? Scared? No, it can't be that. I have to remember why I'm doing all of this. Wait, why am I?"_

"Taichi? Taichi!"

"Hmm?" he responded, a hand to his temple.

"Honey, Mr. Svet here has been asking whether you're enjoying your evening."

He looked at his wife, before the eyeing the man beside her. He blinked a few times, mostly to remove any excess in his eyes, before standing. "I'm sorry Mr. Svet, it's rude of me, but I seemed to have been lost in a reverie." He extended a hand for a shake.

The other man eyed him, his expression hardening before easing into a more welcoming gesture. "No worries Mr. Kamiya. These type of things do tend to take away time from a busy businessman, what do you say?" the man chimed, taking Tai's hand.

Tai smiled, flashing the man a well-known grin, before pulling his hand back. "Trying to slip another business deal on me, aren't we Harry?"

Harry gasped, before turning his head slightly.

Tai wondered whether it was due to embarrassment, or something else. It didn't matter, for within moments, Harry's wife appeared beside him.

"Ah, Mr. Kamiya, you do remember my lovely wife Lillian?"

He smiled again, recognizing Harry's usual slickness. "I do believe we met, now when was it?" Tai pretended to think. "Ah, now I remember. It was when a certain someone planted a rose to a rather, shall' we say, crude opening."

Mrs. Svet giggled, opening a fan to hide away her cheeks of red. "Oh, Mr. Kaviya, you do rememver me," she accented.

Tai took her hand, planting a kiss on her hand, before eyeing the woman in the eyes. "Only too well," he romanticized.

"Come along dearest, its best we sit down before you steal another one of Mrs. Kamiya's successful suitors," her husband joked while gently pushing his wife to follow him.

Once, they were well off into the large manor did Tai turn only to find his wife with a less than bemused look on her face.

"What?" he queried.

She scoffed, before rolling her eyes and taking a seat where a placeholder had been laid out. Tai took the seat next to her.

"Laura," he tried again, only to see his wife turn her head. He placed a hand to her shoulder in hope that it would ease her sudden mood. "Laura," he tried again, after several seconds. "What, you're just going to it here and not talk to me for the rest of night?" Several seconds passed with nothing but silence and the background noise of distant chattering. He slouched against his seat, clearly too tired to deal with another one of his wives moods swings. "Can you at least tell me what I did wrong this time?"

She sighed, causing him to turn. Her eyes were drooped, her face solemn. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "It's nothing you did. It's just…," she trailed, her face unwilling to look up at her husband.

"If this has anything to do with Lillian, Laura I assure you that—,"

"No, don't be foolish,' she interrupted. "If anything, it's me just me losing myself in my thoughts again."

He looked at her, a confused expression beginning to form. "What do you mean?"

She eyed him, nodding her head. "Never-mind it. I'll be fine."

He nodded in disagreement. "It's okay Laura," he assured. He took her hand in his, gently stroking her forehand with his thumb. "If something's bothering you, you can tell me. I mean, you were just okay when Harry and Lillian were here, but now—,"

"Taichi, I said I'm fine!" she slightly bellowed, but not loud enough for anyone outside of ten feet to hear.

He grew shocked, his hand dropping, eyed fixed on her.

"Now, can we drop this? We have guests coming to the table," she stated, standing to greet those who were robbed seconds short of witnessing their small quarrel. She patted her dress, before welcoming the nearest guest. "Hello, Mr. Vaisouss, it is a pleasure to meet you, and is this, oh yes it is, little Emily!"

Tai watched as his wife greeted the Vaisouss family one-by-one, including his daughter Emily, who took to the children's department of the relatively glamorous manor, leaving the adults to do "grown up stuff" as he heard her say many times before. _"Who am I?"_

"Hello, Mr. Kamiya, I see you're as estranged as ever."

Tai looked up, noting the tall man standing before him. He quickly stood to greet him, flashing him another one of his famous grins. "It's a pleasure to see you once again, Mr. Vaisouss."

"A pleasure to meet you as well," Mr. Vaisouss returned the favor, ending the handshake, before taking his seat. "Now tell me Mr. Kamiya, any miscreant activities that have been partaken while I was overseas?" the man stated, taking a quick sip from a freshly prepared glass of wine.

"Never without your consent, as I should know not to displease the French," Tai reassured.

"As it should. We do not want to recreate the fiasco at that Spanish dinner party, now do we?"

Tai smiled again, this time making sure to grin with more genuineness, if anything. "In fact, I have denied Mr. Svet's countless offers to sell me his "one-in-a-lifetime-deals"," he quipped.

Mr. Vaisouss seemed pleased to hear it. "That ol' scumbag still trying to sell you foreclosed houses, huh?"

Tai heard him enact with a more lax kind of vernacular. He wondered whether Mr. Vaisouss was quickly growing comfortable with him.

"I bet you told him off, didn't ya?" Mr. Vaisouss quickly followed up.

He smiled again. "I wouldn't say I 'told him off' per se, but I think he understands that I won't be convinced so easily. At times like these, I won't accept anything under what the governor has already certified as decent."

Mr. Vaisouss slammed a hand to the desk. "Now that's what I'm talking about Kamiya. You're finally using that noggin'." He playfully nudged him on the shoulder for effect.

Now he really wondered whether they were comfortable to be on a first name basis. He entertained the thought, by allowing himself to find out. "Mr. Vaisouss, I wouldn't have known what to do—,"

"Henry."

"I'm sorry?" Tai questioned.

"None of this Vaisouss business, please just call me Henry."

Tai smiled. Here he was quickly recovering his reputation without even shedding an ounce of blood, so-to-speak. He could also see something in his wives eye, from his peripheral. She may have been talking to Mrs. Vaisouss, but Tai new his wife well enough to realize that she was only half listening to anything the other woman was saying, as his conversation with Mr. Vaisouss, as she deemed, was far more interesting than idle gossip.

"So do you agree?"

Tai blinked, his expression confused. "Excuse me?"

Henry chuckled, a slight laugh following it. "Like I said, as estranged as ever. Nevertheless, I was asking whether you'd like to play golf with me sometime." Seconds passed, before he continued, as per Taichi's silence. "I know it's a bit sudden, but I'd like to get to know you better. Maybe even discuss politics while we're there," he wittingly added.

"But where would we play golf?" was all Tai could think of to say at the offer. Several years at his business, and yet, he still grew nervous whenever it came to accomplishing a goal.

Henry laughed, a little louder this time, blithely unaware of the stare's he attracted. "Well at my estate of course. Where else?"

Tai made an "O" expression, before rethinking the offer. He wanted to look towards his wife's direction, but second-guessed it when he noticed Mrs. Vaisouss still talking. Either way, he knew Laura was listening in for his response. "Well I suppose I can make time to travel to France. I mean, how many times can a man say he traveled to France, right?"

Henry seemed pleased by his answer, as he was now patting Tai on the shoulder. "Four for you, but now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the reasons why we came here, shall' we?" he quickly digressed.

Tai nodded, noticing that several other people have gathered around the table now. He knew them all despite their different ethnic faces. He's seem them countless of times. The reasons why they've all gathered once more for a special occasion such as this—they were here to discuss economics, the recession and what should be done to "ease" taxpayers compensation. He sighed, always knowing what it all truly meant.

"Folks, we're here to talk about budgets," Tai could here Henry start off. All the men and women pulled out papers. He rolled his eyes in slight disgust, already knowing what the purpose of the meeting was. They labeled it many things to sell it off to the public, but in reality, the purpose for their gathering was to find out how to fatten their wallets any more.

"Japan?" Henry asked aloud.

"Reinstated," Tai answered half-consciously. His mind was elsewhere, and by the look on her eyes as he was staring, his wife new that as well. "_What purpose is there for me anymore?"_

* * *

_Nagasaki Hospital, Emergency Room, Late Morning_

"We need more FCC and some painkillers, stat!" screamed a nurse as she rushed towards the emergency room.

"I'll also need another bottle of hydrogen peroxide to distill any bacteria. We need to regulate his heart rate as quick as possible. At this pace, we'll have to operate on him if he has any chance of surviving."

"Dr. Kido, Dr. Fubayashi will be here soon for further assistance. What shall' I do in the meantime? "

"Hand me those syringes, and for love's sake, someone get me a bottle of penicillin."

"I have those here for you sir," a second nurse shouted, as she quickly handed Joe the much needed antibiotics.

"Thank you Sayuri," he quickly stated, before drawing several substances from different bottles and injecting them into the patient's body. "There, this should slow down his Hz for now, but we'll need to take him to the operating room."

One of the nurses stopped to eye him. "Will he need cardiovascular surgery, Doctor?"

Joe nodded in regret. "Unfortunately. Judging by the amount of blood he lost, he'll need a quick transfusion as well."

"But doctor, won't the patient be too weak for an operation?"

"There's no other option," he argued, while continuing to monitor the patient's health. "If we don't do an immediate operation, his heart will fail."

The nurse, he called Sayuri, nodded, understanding the situation. "Very well doctor. Dr. Fubayashi will be here momentarily. I will also alert Dr. Izan that he has an emergency patient on the way. Would you like me to inform him that you shall' accompany him as well?"

Joe quickly nodded, while sticking another syringe within the patient's body. "That won't be necessary."

"Have you informed him already doctor?" the nurse asked.

He nodded again. "No it's not that. I simply won't be performing any surgeries today. I'm taking a short day today. I'm leaving after lunch."

The nurse nodded, bowing slightly before readying to leave. "I will inform Dr. Izan for a second replacement then," she stated quickly before leaving.

Joe nodded, before returning his focus on the man before him. He could see the swelling of the man's body, the constant struggle to breathe, and more so, the common signs found on a man once his body is ready to give up. He frowned slightly, before standing firm again. "Don't worry sir. I may not know you, but I don't have to, to understand the help you need. I'll do my best to keep you alive until we can take you to the surgical department."

He knew the man would not respond, whether he could hear him or not, but nonetheless, he smiled and nodded. Several minutes passed, with him constantly monitoring the man, until finally Dr. Fubayashi and Dr. Izan entered the room.

"Is he okay?" the first of the doctors questioned Joe.

He nodded back. "I've managed to stabilize his heart rate, but it won't last. He needs immediate surgery on his heart. It seems one of his blood vessels popped, most likely from a stroke."

The other doctors simply nodded, as if to say 'we know the drill". Like a routine, the next thing he knew, Joe was standing alone in a white enclosed space, sighing to himself. "Well, I suppose I've done all I could for now." With that, he made his way to the reception area. "Sakura," he patted the receptionist desk.

The receptionist looked up, slightly blushing. "Yes, Dr. Kido?"

"Tell Director Tuila, that I'm leaving and won't be back until tomorrow."

Sakura nodded. "Yes doctor, I will get on that right away."

He nodded back, before entering the nearest bathroom he could. Most days he would just go home with so much of a small effort, but today, he was readying himself for that once a year special occasion. He quickly changed into a more appropriate outfit, before finally leaving the rather massive institution.

"Well, I guess I'm gonna have to skip out on lunch. Seems that I'll have to do some grocery shopping," he whined after reading a text message from his phone. It had been from Mimi. He sighed, eyeing the rearview mirror, before pulling up backwards to drive off the staff parking zone.

Several minutes later, and he found himself stopping at the nearest store that read: _Ambor Hurgemn's Shop 4 Less'_. He eyed the sign, raising an eyebrow, before finally entering through the electric doors.

"Welcome sir, may I help you?"

Joe turned, noticing a woman standing behind a counter, a friendly smile plastered on her face. He nodded. "Um, I don't suppose you guys have any links?"

The woman blinked several times, eyeing him carefully. "What kind?"

He shrugged, though he remained still. The woman was starting to give him the creeps. "I suppose beef, but it doesn't really matter." He took several steps back, a little closer to the doors.

The woman continued smiling, although she stepped down from the counter, walking towards him.

Joe noticed upon her reaching him that she was barely at his shoulder height. That didn't stop him from taking a subtle gulp as the woman neared, his arm hairs tensing. He could have sworn he saw he place something in her sleeves.

"This way please," the woman gestured once having reached Joe. She pulled at his coat, instructing him to follow her.

Joe remained still, only moving once the shopkeeper began to grow impatient. She didn't let go of the collar of his coat until they had finally reached the "meat" area of the shop.

"There are many flavors here that you may like. If beef is what you're looking for, you'll find it on the far right over there."

He looked towards where she was pointing, nodding for affirmation. "Thank you ma'am," he bowed.

The woman made another smile, creepier than the last, before slowly craning away. "By the way," she began a stark tone in her voice, "I'd recommend the meat at the center. Most of my customers praise the tenderness of the meat there. Perhaps, it has something to do with its type or something."

"Type?" he queried. He eyed where she referenced, noting the odd packaging of the meat. "What kind of meat is—," he stopped midsentence after noticing the woman wasn't standing by him anymore. He looked over, and thanks to his height, found the shopkeeper to be back at her station next to the cashier. "How'd she get there so fast?" he quickly stated, turning quickly to eye the meats again.

There were an assortments of colors he noticed, each distinctive with vivid shades of pink, purple and, his eyes widened. "No," he gasped, quickly picking up the package before him. The color was normal to an amateur's eye. It resembled any typical fresh meat, white with small pigments of pink and salmon. Only, "It looks so familiar," he stated aloud. He turned the package at different angles, watching carefully as the liquid red swayed back and forth. "It's so thick," he uttered, referring to the red ooze. He placed the package back down, observing the neatly tucked wraps beside it. All of them seemed to be of different shapes, but still the same color. "It's nothing like I've ever seen, but strangely, it seems so familiar." That's when he saw it, a yellow mark between twin packages of meat. He could see it, the distinct discoloration. He reached out to grab it, pushing aside the blocking packages, his eyes growing wide at what he thought it might be. "_Keep it together Kido, it's just meat_," he thought to himself as he prepared himself to grab whatever _it_ was. 'No way—,"

"May I help you sir," a voice spoke from behind.

He quickly turned, yelping louder than usual. "I, uh, I…um…,"

"Is there something you're looking for specifically?" the man before him continued.

Joe eyed the man. He was just as creepy as the woman, despite his smile, which he thought, only added to his wicked demeanor. "Uh, um…no, I, I was just leaving," he quickly lied. "I just forgot I'm needed back at the hospital." Not giving the man a chance to respond, he dashed from the store, stopping only once he was inside his car.

"Okay, I may have overreacted," he admitted aloud, once finished panting, "but man was that store creepy." He adjusted his glasses on the overhead mirror. That's when he saw it, a pair of blue eyes staring at him through the mirror, only they weren't his. The woman was starring at him from behind.

He quickly turned, but found no one at the back seat. Strangely, the woman was looking at him from inside the store. He smiled, waving a forced good-bye, before turning on the engine and quickly speeding off.

_Ring!_ His phone rang after having parked at a nearby parking lot. His nerves were tense, but he figured a social call would relieve him of his anxiety. "Ya, Joe Kido here," he introduced.

"Doctor Kido is this you?" a female voice questioned.

Joe grew still, eyeing the phone's screen. It was from the hospital. He had forgotten to check his caller ID before answering, not that it mattered now. "Yes, this is him, whose calling?" he questioned once placing the phone back to his ear. He sensed the urgency of the woman's voice.

"Yes, this is nurse Sakura, from when you checked out thirty minutes before."

"Ah yes, hello Sakura, is there anything I can do for you?"

"I do not mean to call you out of work, and I apologize. But, it seems Dr. Izan is in need of your help. He says the matter is urgent, and that you come to the hospital right away."

"Is there something wrong?" he asked. Now the situation was escalating rather quickly.

"As a matter of fact there is. The patient, the one with the heart disease that you were treating before you left, has gone under a comatose and is not waking. To make matters worse, Dr. Fubayashi has gone missing. One of the nurses on staff said that she saw him go into the emergency room to grab something from the room where the patient was, but no one has seen him since. We even sent a few nurses to check in on him, but found nothing."

"Wait, so Dr. Fubayashi has gone missing, as that what you're saying?" A sliver of silence ensued, before the nurse responded.

"I just spoke with one of the nurses. She says that Dr. Fubayashi is most likely within the premises. He's probably still looking for whatever it was he was searching for initially."

At that, Joe scoffed. "And what about the other doctors on that floor? Dr. Trenton? Dr. Leonard?"

"I'm afraid they're too busy operating on other patients. Dr. Leah, the new cardiologist is doing her best to help Dr. Izan, but it seems that they need a more expert hand on this. As for the other doctors, they all seem to be busy as well. Apparently, there seems to be a rush of wounded people today, although I can't say why."

At that, Joe grew curious. "More people wounded? Just like yesterday, a large influx of patients, and—,"

"I'm sorry sir?" the nurse unknowingly interrupted his thoughts.

He held the phone back to his ear. 'Never-mind that, Sakura, please inform Dr. Izan I will be there as soon as possible." With that he clicked the phone, eyeing the horizon across. He looked back at his phone once more, noting a second text from Mimi. He chuckled. "I'm sorry Mimi, but it seems I'm going to have to miss this year's anniversary." He dropped the phone into the seat next to him, before starting his car again. "I just hope the others can forgive me for this."

* * *

_In a place unknown, afternoon, April 8__th_

"I understand. But, be sure to let everyone know to meet me later today at least. Say, around eleven. That way we can at least celebrate the anniversary together. What do you say Izzy? Pretty please?" She could hear him shuffle around on the other end before sighing.

"Fine, I'll see what I can do. But Mimi, no promises. At the rate things are going, I doubt any of the others have even remembered today is the anniversary. But nonetheless, I'll send them a text to let them know anyway."

"Oh, thank you Izzy! That means a lot to me."

"Yeah sure-sure, you can thank me later by taking me out on the town. Let's say, _Timeless_?"

"Of-f course, anywhere you want to go Koushiro. I'd be happy to take you anywhere." A light pause furthered the situation.

"You okay Mimi? Your voice sounds a little shaky."

"Ye-yeah, of course."

"You sure? Are you sick or something? Do you want me to call Joe?"

"No-no-no, I'm fine really. I'm just…excited. That's all. You know how sentimental I can get when it comes to these things."

"Um…sure, whatever you say Mimi. Just call me and let me know if you're feeling uneasy, kay?"

"I'll b-be sure to do that. Bye Izzy, and don't forget to let everyone know. Please, it's _very_ important to me!"

"I will, and Mimi, try to relax. It almost sounds like you're crying. Anyways, I'll be hearing from you. Later."

"Bye, Izzy," she whispered the last part upon hearing the familiar dial tone. It was like an unending silence that would only resume the darkness that surrounded her life at the moment. A world she did not want to go back to. _Please, don't hang up,_ was all she could think of during the last bits of her conversation with Izzy.

"Will he get the message to the others?" a man hissed at her ear.

She turned to eye him, nodding with sorrow.

"Good." He stood.

She noticed a small scar reflecting from the tiny light source off the center of the nearby wall.

"I'll be back for you later, sugar. Do try to stay pretty for me, okay?" he sniped.

She could feel his hand caress her face, before finally hearing his footsteps fade away. It wasn't until she heard the door slam, that she shouted at the man. "Let me go you son of a bitch!" she cried. "Please…," she looked down at her chains, tears flowing down quicker. "Please, don't hurt my friends."

* * *

_Parlor of the Ice Brigade…Thrifty's Ice Cream, Eventide_

"You gonna stare at the buckets all day or what?" Matt joked.

His son turned to eye him. "It's not that easy dad. I can't just pick any ol' flavor. What if I turn out not to like that one? Then what? I'll have to settle for it, while watching as everyone else enjoys their ice cream."

Matt sighed. Here again Aaron was overcomplicating things. He shrugged. "Well, why not just pick the same flavor you picked last time?"

Aaron scoffed. "Because that flavor has already been used."

"By who?"

"By my tongue. Duh, dad."

Matt rolled his eyes, turning his head to where Sora and Alyssa, their daughter, were shopping for some beauty products. He sighed, acknowledging the state of their financial situation. He was sure Alyssa was giving Sora a mouthful.

"I got it!"

Matt turned to where Aaron roared. "You finally chose one sport?"

His son nodded. "Yeah, I want that one."

He eyed the flavor of the ice cream, raising an eyebrow. "You sure? I don't think many people go for that flavor."

His son only nodded with confidence.

He shrugged. "All right, if that's what you're sure of, we'll get it then." He walked up the counter, eyeing the man before him. He wore the familiar outfit of a store clerk; only, it was his face that caught Matt's attention. There was a scar on the man's lower cheek. He didn't want to seem like he was staring, so he returned his head towards the menu behind him. "Um, I'll have two large cones of—,"

"Wait, dad, I don't want a cone, I want a cup."

Matt turned, a little anger flaring from his nostrils. "But you told me you wanted a cone on the way here. You practically begged me, even though I told you that cones were more expensive."

"Yeah, but I want a cup now. It seems better."

Matt sighed. He figured that starting an argument with his son would only cause stares and nothing else. He caved. "I'll have one large sugar cone and one large cup please," Matt reinstated.

The store clerk nodded, beginning to grab three scoops of whatever flavors they chose.

Once, both Matt and Aaron were eating their ice cream, Sora and Alyssa walked over to them, rigid faces on both of them.

"Did you guys find what you were looking for?" Matt asked Sora.

She nodded. "Yeah, but Alyssa here doesn't like it."

"Why, what's wrong with it?" he protested.

Sora chuckled. "Ask your daughter." She lightly pushed Alyssa forward.

Matt knelt down to be at his daughter's height. "Teddy-bear, you want to tell daddy what's wrong?"

Alyssa frowned, turning to look away.

He eyed his wife now, waiting for her to explain.

Sora sighed, acknowledging defeat. "Alyssa's mad, because I told her either she chooses to get herself a new doll or a new hairbrush."

"Why can't she get both?" he countered.

She sighed again. "Because Matt, if you have ever bothered to pay attention to your daughter's spending habits, you'd know that she doesn't want just any silly brush or doll."

"Wait, how expensive is the brush?"

"If you mean the only type she'll get, about fifty dollars, and that's not including tax fees."

"Fifty dollars!" Matt roared, a little louder than he anticipated.  
And the doll?" he continued once the awkward stares from a few people a distance off stopped.

"$150?" she proclaimed.

His mouth opened wide, words unable to form. "And this…this is the same doll we've been buying her all this time, right?"

Sora nodded with affirmation.

Matt placed a hand to his forehead, more for recovery, if anything else. He looked down at his daughter, noting the small tears that she was trying to hold back. He knelt down again. "Hey, honey. Look," he eyed Sora once more, before looking back down. "Mommy and daddy are going through some…problems, and we need your help."

Alyssa continued to remain still, eyeing her father in the eyes. Her anger remained.

"Please Alyssa, I need your help," he tried again, this time grabbing onto his daughter's hand.

"What kind of help?" Alyssa conceded.

"Well, you see, mommy and daddy need you to be a big girl for us. We need you to hold off on that doll, just for a little bit. Can you do that for mommy and daddy?"

Alyssa eyed both her mother and father, before looking at Matt again. "Can I just do it for daddy?"

Matt blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Just leave her alone, she's just being dramatic again," Aaron interceded.

"Stay out of this," Matt scowled at his son.

Aaron exhaled heavily, walking away to look through a nearby magazine rack.

"Alyssa, honey, tell daddy what you mean," he tried again.

Alyssa eyed her father, a sour expression on her face. "I won't wait if it's for mommy?"

Matt eyed Sora, noting her grave expression, before turning to look at Alyssa again. "Alyssa, are you angry at your mother?"

The little girl nodded.

"How come?"

"Cause, she always makes you angry, and then you always forget about me."

"I forget about you? Alyssa, honey, I would never do that." He tried to place a hand on her head but she scooted away.

"Yes you do. You both always scream at each other, and then you tell us to go to our rooms all the time, even though we did nothing wrong." Tears began to form in her eyes. "Well I'm tired of it," she screamed, before finally running out of the store.

Matt quickly chased after her, followed by Sora, who dragged Aaron along with her.

They didn't catch up to Alyssa, until she finally reached their car.

"Alyssa!" Matt screamed, once he reached his daughter. "Alyssa, don't you ever do that again do you hear me! You could have been hit by a car, do you understand," he shouted at her, while pointing towards the vehicles.

Alyssa began to cry, and much to her convenience, Sora intervened.

"Matt, don't scream at her, she doesn't understand what she did." She stood between him and their daughter.

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean she can just run around the parking lot. It's too dangerous for her."

"I know that. Don't you think I know that? She's my daughter too, you know," she bellowed.

"Well then freakin' start acting like her mother, and quit wallowing in self-pity," he screamed.

Sora stood there, stunned.

"If you hadn't ignored her…if you just hadn't stopped ignoring your stupid obligations, none of this would have happened. Don't you see that?"

Sora, out of her shock, began to well up. "Oh, Matt, this again? Why can't we ever just work past that?"

"Because there's nothing to work past," he stated darkly, his tone lower.

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

He sighed, looking at both his daughter and son. Both of their faces were filled with slight horror, and if he was seeing correctly, tears were in both their faces now. "Sora, I…," he looked at her again. "We need to talk about this. Our," he eyed the kids once more, before looking back at her. "Situation."

She eyed him, her face growing solemn, almost as if she knew this day would come. Instead of fighting back, she simply nodded, heading inside the vehicle, but not before instructing the kids to do the same.

Matt was the last to enter. He could see through the mirror that his kids were looking at him intently. Aaron being the braver one was the first to speak.

"Dad," he spoke softly.

Matt tried to force a smile, while turning on the engine. "Yeah, little man?"

"Everything's gonna' be okay, right? We'll go out for some pizza some day. All of us, right?"

Matt turned to eye his wife, she did the same.

Sora nodded, closing her eyes, but moving her head out of the way to conceal her expression from her kids. Luckily, the angle of the mirror missed her face. "O-of course," she heard her husband lie. "Just Mommy, you, Alyssa and I," she heard him continue. She looked towards the pedestrians walking out of the shops, observing the happy faces plastered on their heads. A perfect family: Father, mother, son and daughter. A perfect family… "We'll always be together to do everything, because that's what we are—a perfect family!" she heard him finish. _A perfect family?_ She closed her eyes, feeling the vibration of the car backing out of the shopping lot. _What fairytale façade…what a wonderful dream that would be to live. _She turned to look at her husband who was too busy paying attention to the road to notice. _What a beautiful dream I would give my life to live, even if it was just for one day._

* * *

**Yes, I know, totally not what I promised form the second chapter. Initially I planned to make this chapter where the story began, but honestly, I 've forgotten how I was going to start if off from there. No worries though, since I thought of a new plan form where to launch this small series. luckily, I found a way to base it off allowing me to sue the first two chapters as well. Which, at one point, I thought of scraping. Nonetheless, thank you for reading! Please be sure to review if you can! Only takes a couple of seconds-slash-minutes if you don't mind.**


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